Device for scouring rice and the like



Jan. 26, 1960 F. E. BARBEE 2,922,450

DEVICE FOR SCOURING RICE AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 23. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 OOOOOOOOOQ 27 000000000 2 oooooooooooooR 59/ 00000000000 INVENTOR, FRED E. BARBEE 1950 F. E. BARBEE 2,922,450

DEVICE FOR SCOURING RICE AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DDDDDODD :1 I 00000000 D an nonunnnnnuuucunuuuuo 0000 79 A INVENTOR,

FRED E. BARBEE United States PatentO,

DEVICE FOR SCOURING RICE AND THE LIKE Fred E. Barbee, Beaumont, Tex.

Application February 23, 1956, Serial No. 567,341

4 Claims. (Cl. 146295) attempting to effect movement in the opposite direction but at a slower speed whereby'the combined action of the means is effective to move the rice throughv the device from end to end and at the same time is effective to create great turbulence and agitation of the rice grains which greatly enhances the frictional contact of the grains with one another and with the pins to effect removal of the bran during such movement without causing breakage of the grains.

It is further contemplated that such a means be provided wherein an inner cylinder oppositely rotates within a rotating outer cylinder with said cylinders being provided with radially projecting pins so arranged in relation to oneanother and to the cylinders that an eflicientscouring operation heretofore not possible is performed.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an efiicient means for frictionally removing the bran from rice and the like.

'A further object is to provide such means including an inner drum having outwardly disposed pins projecting from the outer surface thereof, and an outer drum having inwardly'disposed pins inwardly projecting from the inner surface thereof, said inwardly projecting pins and outwardly projecting pins being overlapped and spaced from the opposed drum and being disposed in longitudinally spiralled series or sets. I

A further object is to provide such inner and outer drums with such pins and to oppositely rotate the drums at a speed differential whereby the rice will be moved from one end of the cylinders to the other endb'etween the cylinders under the influence of the outwardly projecting pins with said movement being opposed but not overcome by the action of the inwardly projecting pins to effect a combined action characterized by great tur- \bulence and agitation which eificiently scours the rice. x A further object is to dispose such pins in such a spaced r elationship that the rice is scoured efficiently and yet the b eakage of the rice is eliminated.

-.A further object is generally to improve the design of devices for scouring rice and the like. v

{The means by which the foregoing and other objects ofthe present invention are accomplished and the mannor of their accomplishment will be readily understood from the following specification upon reference to th e accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig; l is a partly sectionalized side elevational view of the device of the present invention, with the front portion Patented Jan. 26,

of the outer cylinder being broken away from a line extending along a top row or series of spirally disposed pins to a line extending along a bottom row of spirally disposed pins and with some of the pins removed for purposes of illustration.

"Fig. 2 is an end view of the same with away for purposes of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as on the line III-HI of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic end view illustrating an alternate form of the present invention, parts being broken away for purposes of illustration.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side view of the device of Fig.

4, parts being broken away for purposes of illustration. Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, the scouring device 11 of the present invention comprises, in general, a hollow outer cylinder 13 and an inner cylinder 15 mounted within the outer cylinder and concentric therewith. Cylinders 13, 15 are preferably substantially cylindrical as illustrated in the drawings notwithstanding the optical illusion to the contrary which appears in Fig. 1, it being understood that such an illusion is created by the breaking away, for purposes of illustration, of the front portion of outer cylinder 13 from a line extending along a top row or series of spirally disposed pins to a line extending along a bottom row of spirally disposed pins.

Inner cylinder 15 is somewhat smaller than outer cylinder 13 whereby an annular space is formed therebetween. Inner cylinder 15 is mounted on a shaft 17 extending axially of the cylinder and beyond the opposite ends thereof. The opposite ends of shaft 17 are respectively rotatably supported from standards 1? by means of bear-' ings 20. Inner cylinder 15 is keyed to shaft 17 as by means of keys 21, whereby rotation of the shaft will elfect rotation of the inner cylinder. Outer cylinder 13 is preferably somewhat longer than inner cylinder 15 whereby the opposite ends 22 of inner cylinder '15 are respectively parts broken spaced inwardly from the entrance end 23 and ex'it'end' 24 of outer cylinder 13. Outer cylinder 13 is rotatably supported from shaft .17 by means of bearings 25 pro vided in the opposite ends of the cylinder, whereby outer cylinder 13 may rotate relative to inner cylinder 15.

A plurality of pins 27 project radially outwardly from the outer surface of inner cylinder 15. Pins 27 may be secured to inner cylinder 15 as by extending the inner ends of the pins through apertures 29 provided in inner cylinder 15 and securing the pins therein as by meansof nuts 31 threadedly engaged on threading provided on the inner ends of the pins. The distal'ends of pins 27 are spaced from the inner surface of outer cylinder 13.

A plurality of-additional radially extending pins 33 project inwardly from the inner surface of outer cylinder 13. Pins 33 may be secured to outer cylinder 13 asby means of the pins extending through apertures" provided in the outer cylinder and being anchoredtherein by means of nuts 37 threadedly engaging threading provided on the ends of pins 33. The distal ends of pins 33 are spaced from inner cylinder 15.

The pins 27, 33 are so disposed and cylinders 13, 15 so rotated that rice or the like interposed between the cylinders is adapted to be moved from one end of the cylinders to the other by the action of one of the sets of pins, either pins 27 or 33, and the action by the other set of pins is adapted to resist such movement. By this combination of movement in one direction and resistive or back flow movement in the other direction such an effective action is set up in the scouring device which is characterized'by considerable turbulence and agitation that the grains of rice frictionally engage the pins and' other grains of rice to efficiently remove the bran from the rice as it is being moved fromone amid the cylinder to the other. This novel action accomplished by the scouring device of the present invention, while being effective to remove the bran from the rice, does not damage the grains of rice as have previous scouring devices heretofore used. It will be understood that various combinations of pin disposition and direction of rotation of cylinders may be employed to effect the above-mentioned forward movement and back flow movement without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

In the preferred disposition of pins 27 on inner cylinder 15, the pins are disposed in a plurality of longitudinally extending series, two of such series being shown in Fig. '1 wherein each is designated as at 39. Other of pins 27 on the front side of cylinder have been removed in Fig. l for the sake 'of clarity. Each of series 39 forms a spirally disposed line shown as twisted in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed from the entrance end 41 of the scouring device 11. Corresponding pins of the plurality of series 39 are disposed in a' circular path perpendicular ,to shaft 17. From the foregoing it will be understood that pins'27 are disposed in a plurality of spaced circular patterns extending from one end of the drum to the other and at the same time being disposed in a plurality of longitudinally and spirally extending series.

In the preferred embodiment, inner cylinder 15 is rotated clockwise as viewed from entrance end 41 whereby rice interposed between inner cylinder 15 and outer cylinder 13 will be moved by the spiral eifect of pins 27 on the rice from entrance end 41 towards the exit end 43 of the scouring device. It will be understood that the direction of spiral and direction of rotation of inner cylinder 15 may be opposite to that hereinabove described and yet produce the same direction of movement of the rice. Thus pins 27 may be disposed in a clockwise direction and inner cylinder 15 rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from the entrance end 41.

Pins 33 are preferably disposed similarto pins 27, that is, with .the pins being disposed in a plurality of longitudinally extending series 45, and each of the series forming a spirally disposed line having the same pitch as series 39 and extending in a counter clockwise direction as viewed from the entrance end 41. 'This counterclockwise disposition is best shown in Fig.- 1. Withthe above disposition of pins 33, cylinder 13 is preferably rotated oppositely from cylinder 15, that is, in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from entrance end 41.

It will. be understood that with thiscombination of disposition of pins 33'and rotation of outer cylinder 13,

pins 33 will exert aforce-towards entrance .end 41 on the rice interposed between cylinders 13, 15, resisting passage of the rice towardthe exit end and turbulently agitating the rice in the device. It will be understood thatthis same movement may be accomplished by .disposing pins 33 inaspiral disposition opposite to that hereinabove described, and by rotating outer cylinder 13 in a clockwise direction.

Outer cylinder 13 is preferably rotated, at a speed slower than the spcedof inner cylinder .15, whereby the longitudinal force exerted on the rice by. pins .27 will be greater than the opposite force exerted on the rice ,by pins 33 whereby the combination of these two forces will move the rice from the entrance end 41 to the exit. end 43 and at the same time cause effective frictional engagement of the grains of rice with one another and with the pins. It will be understood that otherspeeds of cylinders 13, 15 may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Cylinders 13, 15 are preferably slightly inclined downwardly towards exit end 43, as best illustrated in Fig. 1, whereby to assist the rice in its movement towards the exit end. p

Pins 27 preferably radially overlap pins 33, that is, the circular paths in which pins 27 travel will be interposed between the circular paths in which pins 33 trave Pins 27, 33 extend into adjacency with their opposing cylinders, the ends of the pins being respectively spaced from the opposing cylinders by the same amount. Additionally, pins 27 and pins 33 are preferably cylindrical and of the same diameter, with this diameter preferably being the same as the lateral spacing between pins 27 and 33 and the same as the spacing between the distal ends of the'pins and the opposing cylinders. Additionally, the above-mentioned diameter and spacings are preferably greater than the maximum dimension of the grains of rice or the like which the scouring device 11 is designed to accommodate. Thus, the spacings between the pins and the opposing cylinders give freedom of movement of the grains. An extra row of pins 33 may be respectively provided adjacent the entrance end 41 and the exit end 43 for agitating the rice to keep it free and loose for entrance into the scouring zone and for discharge from the device after scouring.

The means for rotating cylinders 13, 15 may comprise suitable drive means, as for example a motor, 45A, may be coupled to a pulley 46 which is fixedly mounted on shaft 17 as by key means 47. The coupling of said motor to pulley 46 may be by means of V-belts 48 whereby the motor is effective to rotate shaft 17 and consequently to rotate inner cylinder 15 in the same di rection since it is keyed thereto. A second pulley 49 is fixedly mounted on shaft 17, as by a key 50, and is coupled to a pulley 51 by means of a belt 52 crossed or reversed for opposite rotation of pulley 51 relative to pulley 49. Pulley 51 is fixedly mounted on an auxiliary shaft 53 as by means of a key 54, shaft 53 being rotatably supported at its ends as by bearings 55 respectively attached to standard 19 and an auxiliary standard 56. A pulley 57 is fixedly mounted on auxiliary shaft 53 as by means of a key 58. Pulley 57 is coupled to an annular pulley 59 as by means of V-belts .60. Annular pulley 59 is fixedly mounted on cylinder 13 adjacent the outer periphery of entrance end 23 of outer cylinder 13, whereby rotation of shaft 53 is effective through belts 60 to rotate cylinder 13. Pulley 49 is preferably smaller than pulley 51 to provide for a speed reduction of shaft 53 relative to shaft 17, and pulley 57 is preferably smaller than pulley 59 to provide speed reduction from shaft 53 to annular pulley 59.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 wherein belt 52 is crossed, it will be understood that cylinders 13, 15 will be oppositely rotated with cylinder 13 being rotated slower than cylinder 15, but it will be understood that belt 52 may be uncrossed as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 4 to rotate shaft 53 in the same direction as shaft 17 thereby rotating cylinders 113, 115 in the same direction. In this alternate embodiment, wherein cylinders 113, 115 are rotated in the same direction, the direction of spiral of the pins carried by the respective cylinders 113, 115 will be opposite, that is, one of the sets of pins being disposed clockwise and the other set 139 being disposed counterclockwise as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 5 wherein it will be seen pins 127 are disposed counter-clockwise and pins similar to pins 33 and mounted by nuts 137 similar'to the pin mounting by nuts 37 are disposed clockwise as viewed from entrance end 41.

Means are provided for delivering the rice to the enltrance end-41 of the scouring device 11 which may co prise a frusto-conical casing 63- attached to entrance end 23 of cylinder 13. Casing 63 is provided with a centiial opening 65 adjacent the apex thereof and is adapted {to to receive a spout 67 which projects into the entranlce chamber 69 defined by conical casing 63. Entrance chamber 69 is communicated with the space between cylinders 13, 15 by means of openings 71 provided in entrance end 23. Thus the rice will enter the scouring device 11 by the means herein described and. will travel between cylinders 13, 15 from the entrance end thereof to the exit end thereof.

A plurality of openings 73 are provided in exit end 24 of outer cylinder 13 whereby exit means is provided for discharge of the rice from the scouring device. Additionally, a plurality of access openings 75 are provided in exit end 24, said access openings being provided adjacent the outer periphery of the exit end whereby means is provided for gaining access to pins 27, 33 (or the pins 127 and the pins mounted by nuts 137) as for the cleaning thereof. Closure plates 77 are respectively pivotally mounted on exit end 24 and adapted to respectively slide across access openings 75 to close or open the openings. Closure plates 77 may be respectively provided with elongated slots 79 through which extends threaded studs 81 secured to exit end 24. Butterfly nuts 83 threadedly engage studs 81 and engage the outward face of closure plates 77 whereby the closure plates may be anchored in the desired position. A projection 84 may be attached to the inner side of each of closure plates 77 adjacent its lower edge. Projection 84 may comprise a metal plate attached as by welding to plate 77 or may be formed integrally therewith. Each of projections 84 projects substantially perpendicularly inwardly from its related plate and is of a size to project into and fit closely into an adjacent access opening 75 when the access opening is outwardly closed by said closure plate, so that the access opening is also effectively peripherally sealed or plugged by projection 84 to prevent rice from escaping therethrough, and the plate is additionally held against accidental swinging movement. A thumb grip extension 85 may be provided on each of closures 77 to facilitate the positioning thereof.

A hopper 87 or the like may be disposed to underlie exit end 24 whereby means is provided for receiving the grain discharged from openings 73. If desired, a conduit 89 may be provided at the bottom of hopper 87 to convey the rice to the desired point of delivery.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that novel means is provided for removing the bran from brown rice and the like by causing frictional engagement of the grains of rice with one another and with the pins in the scouring device of the present invention whereby the bran is removed without damage to the rice grains. Such frictional engagement of the grains of rice is accomplished through the unique structure and disposition of the cylinders, the arrangement of the pins and the related structure, whereby a unique action is imparted to the grains of rice to accomplish eflicient scouring of the grains heretofore not possible in other types of grain scouring devices.

I claim:

1. A scouring device for removing the bran from rice and the like comprising a rotatable outer cylinder having inwardly extending pins secured thereto, said inwardly extending pins being disposed in a plurality of longitudinally extending series, each of said series of inwardly extending pins forming a spirally disposed line, corresponding pins of said plurality of longitudinally extending series being disposed in a circular pattern, a

\ rotatable inner cylinder mounted within and concentric \with said outer cylinder and having outwardly extending pins secured thereto, said inner cylinder being spaced firom said outer cylinder for the passage of rice and the like therebetween, said outwardly extending pins overlapping said inwardly extending pins and adapted to pass therebetween, said outwardly extending pins being disposed in a plurality of longitudinally extending series, each of said series of outwardly extending pins forming a spirally disposed line pitched the same direction as the spirally disposed line of said inwardly extending pins, corresponding pins of said longitudinally extending series of the outwardly extending pins being disposed in a circular pattern intermediate the circular pattern of said inwardly extending pins, the ends of said outwardly pins being substantially equal to the distance between the ends of the pins and the opposing cylinders, driving means coupled to said outer cylinder and said inner cylinder for effecting rotation thereof, said outer cylinder being rotated at a slower speed and in the opposite direction from rotation of said inner cylinder whereby rice introduced at one end of the cylinders is turbulently moved between the cylinders and discharged at the other end thereof and while being so moved frictionally engages the pins and other grains of rice to remove the bran from the rice.

2. A scouring device for removing the bran from rice and the like comprising a rotatable outer cylinder having inwardly extending pins secured thereto, said inwardly extending pins being disposed in a plurality of longi tudinally extending series, each of said series of inwardly extending pins forming a spirally disposed line, corresponding pins of said plurality of longitudinally extending series being disposed in a'circular pattern, a rotatable inner cylinder mounted within and concentric with said outer cylinder and having outwardly extending pins secured thereto, said inner cylinder being spaced from said outer cylinder for the passage of rice and the like therebetween, said outwardly extending pins overlapping said inwardly extending pins and adapted to pass therebetween, said outwardly extending pins being disposed in a plurality of longitudinally extending series, each of said series of outwardly extending pins forming a spirally disposed line pitched in the same direction as the spirally disposed line of said inwardly extending pins, corresponding pins of said longitudinally extending series of the outwardly extending pins being disposed in a circular pattern intermediate the circular pattern of said inwardly extending pins, driving means coupled to said outer cylinder and said inner cylinder for effecting rotation thereof, said outer cylinder being rotated at a different speed and in the opposite direction from rotation of said inner cylinder whereby rice introduced at one end of the cylinders is turbulently moved between the cylinders and discharged at the other end thereof and while being so moved frictionally engages the pins and other grains of rice to remove the bran from the rice.

3. A scouring device for removing the bran from rice and the like comprising a rotatable outer cylinder having inwardly extending pins secured thereto, said inwardly extending pins being disposed in a plurality of longitudinally extending series, each of said series of inwardly extending pins forming a spirally disposed line, corresponding pins of said plurality of longitudinally extending series being disposed in a circular pattern, a rotatable inner cylinder mounted within and concentric with said outer cylinder and having outwardly extending pins secured thereto, said inner cylinder being spaced from said outer cylinder for the passage of rice and the like therebetween, said outwardly extending pins overlapping said inwardly extending pins and adapted to pass therebetween, said outwardly extending pins being disposed in a plurality of longitudinally extending series, each of said series of outwardly extending pins forming a spirally disposed line spiralled in the opposite direction from the spiral of said inwardly extending pins, corresponding pins of said longitudinally extending series of the outwardly extending pins being disposed in a circular pattern intermediate the circular pattern of said inwardly extending pins, the ends of said outwardly and said inwardly extending pins being spaced from their opposing cylinders, the distance between adjacent inwardly and outwardly extending pins being substantially equal to the distance between the ends of the pins and the opposing cylinders,

driving means coupled to said outer cylinder and said inner cylinder for effecting rotation thereof, said outer cylinder being rotated at a different speed from and in the same direction as the rotation of said inner cylinder whereby rice introduced at one end of the cylinders is turbulently moved between the cylinders and discharged at the other end thereof and while being so moved frictionally engages the pins and other grains of rice to remove the bran from the rice.

4. A scouring device for removing the bran from rice and the like comprising a rotatable outer cylinder having inwardly extending pins secured thereto, said inwardly extending pins being disposed in a plurality of longitudinally extending series, each of said series of inwardly extending pins forming a spirally disposed line, corresponding pins of said plurality of longitudinally extending series being disposed in a circular pattern, a rotatable inner cylinder mounted within and concentric with said outer cylinder and having outwardly extending pins secured thereto, said inner cylinder being spaced from said outer cylinder for the passage of rice and the like therebetween, said outwardly extending pins overlapping said inwardly extending pins and adapted to pass therebetweeu, said outwardly extending pins being disposed in a plurality of longitudinally extending series, each of said series of outwardly extending pins forming a spirally disposed line spiralled in the opposite direction from the spiral of said inwardly extending pins, corresponding pins of said longitudinally extending series of the outwardly extending pins being disposed in a circular pattern interl l i mediate the circular pattern of said inwardly extending pins, the ends of said outwardly and said inwardly extending pins being spaced from their opposing cylinders, driving means coupled to said outer cylinder and said inner cylinder for effecting rotation thereof, said outer cylinder being rotated at a different speed from and in the same direction as the rotation of said inner cylinder whereby rice introduced at one end of the cylinders is turbulently moved between the cylinders and discharged at the other end thereof and while being so moved frictionally engages the pins and other grains of rice to remove the bran from the rice.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

